OT: Visiting Boston? We are here to help.

BigBadBruins7708

Registered User
Dec 11, 2017
13,578
18,344
Las Vegas
Hey guys, most likely coming to the TD garden for my first game on Dec. 9. My brother lives in Ashland. Better to drive in or take the T? Also if driving is better, which garage do you recommend parking in?

I say the T. Coming from Providence, my routine is drive to Quincy Adams and take the red line in. Cheaper and less of a headache. takes about 40min on the subway each way
 

Clare2904

LEGEND!
Sponsor
Oct 22, 2016
14,685
8,816
Montreal
Starting to plan my activities for when I am in town (Feb 2-9) I would like to catch some local theatre/play/music.

Any recommendations?

Also, if some kind soul has a spare ticket for the Leafs game on the 3rd I'll be grateful :)
 

Fenway

HF Bookie and Bruins Historian
Sponsor
Sep 26, 2007
68,589
98,267
Cambridge, MA
Starting to plan my activities for when I am in town (Feb 2-9) I would like to catch some local theatre/play/music.

Any recommendations?

Also, if some kind soul has a spare ticket for the Leafs game on the 3rd I'll be grateful :)

Can anybody help @Clare2904 out? No response in 2 weeks - that is not us.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Clare2904

talkinaway

Registered User
Mar 19, 2014
6,973
4,126
On the couch
For local theater, I've gone to a few productions from Harvard's American Repertory Theater. Your experience will vary based upon your personal taste and what they're doing. Some shows are clearly tryouts for Broadway...Finding Neverland, Waitress and Great Comet of 1812 started there, as did the revival of Pippin. Other shows are a little more quirky and avant garde - like Jane Austin with all the sets literally on wheels, or a conversation between Teddy Roosevelt and Elvis Presley, or a play based on recordings of Truman Capote and Andy Warhol. When you're coming, they have "Hear Word Naija Woman Talk True". I literally know nothing about it other than that it's playing there.

A.R.T. - American Repertory Theater

If you're into touring companies and more established Broadway fare, Love Never Dies, the sequel to Phantom of the Opera, is coming to the Boston Opera House.

I don't know where you're staying, but both are accessible via the T (and Google Maps on your iPhone once you get off). The Harvard Square stop on the Red Line gets you near the theater for Harvard A.R.T., and the Green Line (Boylston or Park) or Orange Line (Chinatown or Downtown Crossing) can get you to the Boston Opera House.

I'm not hip enough to know the cozy little venues for the cool music the kids these days like.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Clare2904

Ratty

Registered User
Feb 2, 2003
11,962
3,481
Rive Gauche
Visit site
If You're into classical, the BSO will be here during your stay. I enjoy Friday afternoon concerts (1:30) as they're more informal (the dress code, not the performances). Check bso.org.

Also, within walking distance are the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum. The Gardner frequently has chamber music in its beautiful solarium garden.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Clare2904

Clare2904

LEGEND!
Sponsor
Oct 22, 2016
14,685
8,816
Montreal
Thanks. The Hasty Pudding are putting on a performance when I am there so going to that.

I'm staying near Savin Hill so Red line all the way to Harvard etc.

Going to spend a day wondering around Harvard and M.I.T as well. Hit the Fine Arts and Isabella Stewart, take a tour of Fenway, do the Freedom trail, walk the Common and hopefully get out to JFK's birthplace.
 

Clare2904

LEGEND!
Sponsor
Oct 22, 2016
14,685
8,816
Montreal
Now, the important stuff, BEER!

Local places please, not tourist traps like Cheers, though I will go just to say I have done it :laugh:
 

Montecristo

Registered User
Jul 29, 2012
6,921
2,146
Now, the important stuff, BEER!

Local places please, not tourist traps like Cheers, though I will go just to say I have done it :laugh:

Staying near Savin hill the best place is Dorchester brewing company for the beer.the banshee is a traditional Irish pub in the area which is better for atmosphere and they have good food, Dorchester brewing company does not have food. (Food trucks swing by occasionally
 
  • Like
Reactions: Clare2904

bossfan

Registered User
Apr 5, 2008
2,067
530
Starting to plan my activities for when I am in town (Feb 2-9) I would like to catch some local theatre/play/music.

Any recommendations?

For local theater try the Lyric Stage Company in Copley Square area. Small space with some interesting productions. There is a production there during the dates of your stay don't know if it is good or bad but check it out and see if it is something of interest to you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Clare2904

Clare2904

LEGEND!
Sponsor
Oct 22, 2016
14,685
8,816
Montreal
Staying near Savin hill the best place is Dorchester brewing company for the beer.the banshee is a traditional Irish pub in the area which is better for atmosphere and they have good food, Dorchester brewing company does not have food. (Food trucks swing by occasionally

I'll look it up. Any recommendations for central Boston for when I'm out during the day?
 

Clare2904

LEGEND!
Sponsor
Oct 22, 2016
14,685
8,816
Montreal
For local theater try the Lyric Stage Company in Copley Square area. Small space with some interesting productions. There is a production there during the dates of your stay don't know if it is good or bad but check it out and see if it is something of interest to you.
Thanks, I'll go take a look now.
 

Ratty

Registered User
Feb 2, 2003
11,962
3,481
Rive Gauche
Visit site
Now, the important stuff, BEER!

Local places please, not tourist traps like Cheers, though I will go just to say I have done it :laugh:
Eire Pub, also in Dorchester. All locals, good sports programming. Pres. Reagan made a stop three once. J.J. Foley's in South End, Mayor Flynn's favorite watering hole. Not formal, but bartenders wear white shirts and ties. Classic Boston pub.

If you do the Samuel Adams tour stop by Braddock (Doyle's) in Jamaica Plain. Lots of Olde Boston memorabilia.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Clare2904

talkinaway

Registered User
Mar 19, 2014
6,973
4,126
On the couch
Also, what is my best statergy for getting in to the Leafs game without having to take a second mortgage?

TicketsNow has the exact same tickets as Ticketmaster's resale, but they charge a little bit less in fees - it's literally a dollar, but why pay more? As I understand, it's part of Ticketmaster, and it's 100% an "official" virtual ticket with a new code and your name associated with it, so if there are problems, you can go to the TD Garden box office to get it fixed.

The other cheap official option is to hope they have a flash sale. These are tickets though Experience, and you can get them here:



That's a weekend Leafs game, and it's $90...which is probably about as low as you'll get for February. You don't get to pick your seat, just your vague section (those are "end balcony" prices) - they send you a seat assignment an hour or two before the game. They tend to come out at noon the day before the game...but, potential buyer beware: they occasionally skip out on marquee games like the Black Friday game against Pittsburgh. Plus, the last few flash games have been $120-$125, but that's because they've been on weekends and/or during the holidays. For non-matinees, the flash sale usually sends you a text at noon the day before, though...so you'll be risking having to buy at another market later if you go this route.

StubHub has some decent prices occasionally. They're not official, and don't have any presence near the Garden - you have to call the 800 number if something weird happens with your tickets (which doesn't happen often, if at all). That said, if your ticket is bad, they DO reserve the right to give you a replacement ticket OR refund your money with no ticket. Again, never had a problem with them myself...just a "full disclousure" thing.

Ace Ticket is literally across from the Garden if you have problems. They're not official, BUT their tickets are, for lack of a better term, "on consignment". They buy the tickets from the sellers and then set their own prices to resell them to their buyers. That's unlike StubHub, which is basically "eBay buy-it-now for tickets".

Between TicketsNow, flash sales, StubHub, and Ace, there's usually an okay price if you go back and check closer to the event date. Prices can drop as you get near the event date, but if you see one ticket that's significantly below the others....I'd pounce. Of note, all the tickets now are mobile - you can't print out anything (although I've seen people at the game with huge printed out QR codes - no idea if those work.)
 

JMCx4

Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
Sep 3, 2017
13,451
8,320
St. Louis, MO
... within walking distance are the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum. The Gardner frequently has chamber music in its beautiful solarium garden.
My wife & I would second your recommendation to visit the Gardner Museum if you're in or near that part of town. We made a stop there a few years back when we were tacking a three-night stay in the Boston suburb of Brookline onto our previous week up in Midcoast Maine with family. The Museum building & spaces alone are impressive, the staff was very friendly, and the exhibits were world class. Small detail, but their museum cafe is probably the best food quality & service we've had at the many public museums we've visited across the U.S. and parts of Canada.

We stayed in a Brookline B&B that we would not recommend (more like a boarding house), but the area has many other lodging options. It was very convenient to public transportation (incl. the Green Line-C Branch light rail) for access to the Boston core, and several of the area universities with hockey teams were within easy reach by car (we chose to attend a BU game @ Agganis Arena). We also enjoyed a few restaurants along Harvard Street within walking distance of its intersection with Beacon Street where the Green Line-C Branch runs: Pho Lemongrass, Otto Pizza & Zaftigs Delicatessen.
 

Clare2904

LEGEND!
Sponsor
Oct 22, 2016
14,685
8,816
Montreal
Anywhere in the city centre where you can store your suitcase?

I think I will try to go to the BSO but only on the final day (as it is free) but my flight home is at 18.40 and I don't want to be rushing around trying to get back to Savin Hill etc to pick up my case then get to Logan.
 

bossfan

Registered User
Apr 5, 2008
2,067
530
Anywhere in the city centre where you can store your suitcase?

I think I will try to go to the BSO but only on the final day (as it is free) but my flight home is at 18.40 and I don't want to be rushing around trying to get back to Savin Hill etc to pick up my case then get to Logan.

Symphony Hall has coat rooms you might be able to put your suitcase there during the performance. I know that they search handbags so might want to call and ask them if they will let you go in with a suitcase. I don't think the coat rooms are secure so although i don't think someone would steal your suitcase that is something to think about.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Clare2904

Clare2904

LEGEND!
Sponsor
Oct 22, 2016
14,685
8,816
Montreal
Symphony Hall has coat rooms you might be able to put your suitcase there during the performance, might want to call and ask them. I don't think the coat rooms are secure so although i don't think someone would steal your suitcase that is something to think about.
It is not at Symphony Hall but Fenway Center at Northeastern
 

JMCx4

Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
Sep 3, 2017
13,451
8,320
St. Louis, MO
Re. Fenway's recommendation of the Boston Duck Tours: It may seem kind of corny & clichéd, but the tour really is a great way to familiarize a first-time visitor with the sights & history of Boston. My wife & I took the tour a few years ago on our first visit, and our driver provided a large amount of useful information on sections of the city for further exploration while keeping us entertained between major sites of interest.

We followed our Duck ride with a visit to the Prudential Center's Skywalk Observatory, which is the building where the Duck Tours start & end. It was another significant expense (check the website for available discounts). but worth the admission on a clear day to get a bird's eye view of the city & the Harbor & points beyond. It gave us a good sense of direction for our wanderings around the city core of Boston that afternoon. It also seems like you'd get a fantastic view of the city from the Observatory if you visited at night. And the Observatory space includes special exhibits & displays to complement the views of the historic city & surrounding area.
 
Last edited:

jgatie

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Sep 22, 2011
11,376
11,799
Duck Boat tours are great. Where else in the world can you ride on something that has transported the world champions and the accompanying trophies for all 4 major sports?

That being said, I live here and you couldn't get me on one of those rattletraps if you held a gun to my head. Did ride a swan boat once, though.
 

jgatie

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Sep 22, 2011
11,376
11,799
Going to dump it at South Station, either the Greyhound or Teddy's. I have read that the greyhound can be hard to find so I'll do a recon mission beforehand then I am not dragging my case all over the station :laugh:

Just ask any T personnel. Despite their reputation as being total state hacks, they won't guide you wrong. They may be grumpy and dismissive, but they are usually helpful.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->